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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. Whoever takes up medicine should seriously consider the following points: firstly, that he must one day render to the Supreme Judge an account of the lives of those sick men who have been intrusted to his care. Secondly, that such skill and science as, by the blessing of Almighty God, he has attained, are to be specially directed towards the honour of his Maker, and the welfare of his fellow-creatures; since it is a base thing for the great gifts of Heaven to become the servants of avarice or ambition. Thirdly, he must remember that it is no mean or ignoble animal that he deals with. We may ascertain the worth of the human race, since for its sake God's Only-begotten Son became man, and thereby ennobled the nature that he took upon him. Lastly, he must remember that he himself hath no exemption from the common lot, but that he is bound by the same laws of mortality, and liable to the same ailments and afflictions with his fellows. For these and like reasons let him strive to render aid to the distressed with the greater care, with the kindlier spirit, and with the stronger fellow-feeling. 2. Many, however, will in no wise allow themselves to be regulated by these considerations, as is clearly manifest both from their practice and their way of life. Some are swollen up with pride, and puffed out with the vain conceit of their knowledge; so that these matters seem small in their eyes. They can only come down to them negligently and contemptuously. They care nothing for the unfortunates committed to their charge. The Supreme Being they either disown or disregard. The others either gape and grow greedy for gain, or else are borne away by the hopes of some small celebrity; in either case looking to their purses or to their fame. In all cases it be...
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
